C'mon Sea Legs
by woodsgotwood
Summary: Waterbender Percy Jackson and his friend Grover leave their village in the Northern Water Tribe for a life of adventure aboard a ship of rebels set on subverting the Fire Nation. Previously titled "Heroes of Omashu." Crossover.
1. The Water

The water lapped at the side of the ship as if reaching for it, trying to grasp onto the sides like begging children. Percy kept his eye trained on those little waves - he was afraid of what he might find if he turned around. He was left behind to slow down the fire nation soldiers that were after him and the crew. They were - no doubt - right on his tail, although he wasn't too willing to look back and see just how close they were. He half-ran, half-skated on the ice he bent up from the sea. He was too far away to try and bend a water spout to catapult him onto the deck of the ship, and too close to the soldiers to have time to think of any other plans.  
******  
**

He felt an intense heat growing on his back, and he ducked just as a fireball soared over his head right where he was a second ago. It landed on top the icy sheet beneath his feet, which immediately cracked and melted beneath him

_It looks like they're within firing range now,_ he thought as the ice supporting him gave out and he fell into the water.

He looked up to the surface and saw brilliant flashes of orange light soaring through the sky. _They're attacking the ship_. He bent the water around him, moving his arms so it was churning in a spiral with him in the center of it. He pushed and the water propelled him to what looked like the hull of his ship. He rocketed like a cruise missile and sped up, but the ship was still moving too fast for him to catch up.

_This is a bad idea_, he thought, but he stopped propelling and started to tread the water. He was running out of air fast, as he hadn't had time to bend a bubble around his head when he fell. He was also probably too far away to ever reach the ship, but still he bent the water into a spout. It pushed him up out of the water like a giant cord connecting him to the sea. He saw out of the corner of his eye a large fireball coming towards him. Instinctively, he gave one final push and catapulted towards the ship.

He flew threw the air, arms flailing. The ship came closer into view. I'm actually going to make it, he thought, a huge smile breaking onto his face.

He didn't make it. He dipped at the last second, hitting the side of the hull with a thud and knocking all of the air out of him. He scrambled, desperately trying to recover and grab onto the hull railing. A hand reached out and pulled him clumsily up onto the deck.

He landed on the deck face down. He groaned and pushed himself up, "I never knew you were that strong, Grover," he joked. He and Grover had been friends for a long time before they started sailing. Both of their families were never well off - Percy came from a family of fishermen and Grover's family were shepherds. They found they had a lot of other things in common as well, and became best friends.

Grover opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the shaking of the ship as another fireball connected with the hull. He gulped, "So much for slowing them down." Guilt washed over Percy. This was all his fault.

"Come on," said Grover as he pulled him up and ran starboard. Some of the sailors who weren't benders were trying to put out the fires, while some of the others were working furiously to sail faster and maneuver back and forth, trying to make them less of a target to the soldiers. They were gaining fast. Grover was called over to help sail, and Percy watched as the captain of the ship ran up to him.

"Percy, we need your help," said Arrluk, a rather large man with a scar along his cheek. He was an amazing captain, and had gotten them out of many close calls before.

"We're trying to deflect as many as we can, but they keep coming," said Arrluk and as hurried towards the stern of the ship. There were only a handful of waterbenders in their crew, and all of them were there, extinguishing the fireballs midflight.

It was all defensive, Percy saw - which was practical when they were further away from the goliath of a ship. They were too far to land a hit then, but now that the ship was gaining on them, taking the offense would be a good idea. Percy voiced this to Arrluk, who nodded solemnly. Arrluk wasn't a bender, but the whole crew trusted him with their lives.

Another explosion rocked the boat. Shouts were heard as men scrambled, trying to put out more fires. Arrluk looked over in worry, and then grabbed Percy's shoulder.

"They need me," he said, "You tell the waterbenders what to do. They'll listen to you. Make sure no one gets hurt." He gave a reassuring squeeze and then ran off to help rest of the crew.

"Follow my lead," said Percy, "We have to fight back!" Uneasy looks were exchanged. The crew was more accustomed to quick getaways. Usually they could slip in and out without notice, but this time was a completely different circumstance. This time they were taking the fight head on.

Percy bent the water out of his clothes, drying off while simultaneously arming himself. He bent it into long spikes of ice and launched them like spears at the soldiers firing at them. Soon, the crew turned into a machine controlling the sea. A third of the benders took offense, throwing ice or making whips to throw the soldiers off of their ship. Another third of the crew deflected fireballs and everything the soldiers threw at them. The rest of the benders, as per Percy's suggestion, bent the sea so the ship would go faster.

Kassuq turned to him, "They're still coming."

And it was true. Kassuq was around the same age as Percy, who was one of the youngest of the crew. Kassuq was also one of the best offensive waterbenders Percy knew. When Kassuq looked worried, that's when Percy knew things were really bad. All the men on the offense looked to him. Percy had thought that maybe they could have worn the other sailors out by then, but it didn't look like they were relenting any time soon. The sailors had never been in this type of situation before. Although their reputation on the seas wasn't great, per se, they weren't ones to engage in combat. And it showed on the men's faces.

"They'll leave soon," said Percy encouragingly, but he knew it was a lie. As he spoke he saw more Fire Nation men step into the places of the soldiers they had take down. And this time, they brought catapults.

"We should bring up the armory," said Kassuq. Other men voiced their agreement. Looking at the catapults set up on the other ship, Percy couldn't help but really want to agree with them. But he knew that wasn't an option.

"We can't," said Percy, "We stole those weapons for a reason, and it's not for us to use the magazine against them. We have to arm the people who really need it."

Grover, who had just recently come over to scope out how the benders were doing, grunted in agreement, "Percy's right. We can't afford to waste those weapons."

No one spoke out against them, but the apprehension on their faces were clear enough. Percy hated putting his friends in danger - especially the crew. He was the one who got them into this mess in the first place. It was his idea to steal the arms from the Fire Nation.

Percy suggested taking some of the weapons from the Fire Nation soldiers that occupied one of the small Earth Kingdom villages near the town where they had docked their ship. A group of citizens from Omashu had expressed interest in trying to take back their city. While most were Earthbenders, there were a large group of non-benders that were weaponless, but willing to trade with the crew. Percy promised to help them - much to the dismay of his fellow crewmates, who were less enthusiastic to the idea. They thought it was a lost cause, and that Percy gave too many promises that he couldn't keep.

Even so, when Percy saw his chance and thought of a plan, they followed him. Sometimes he wished they wouldn't.

Percy looked back and saw that they were approaching a small tract of land. He knew that if the fight was moved to land they would never have a chance of survival. He straightened himself up and took a couple steps back.

"What are you doing?" Grover asked.

"I'm gonna jump," said Percy, "They have us on long distance, but maybe hand-to-hand..."

"You're nuts," said Grover, "You can't take on a bunch of fire nation soldiers alone."

"I'm going with him," said Kassuq, his blue eyes intense.

Percy turned his head, "What? No."

"You're not going alone," he said.

"You're not going at all," said Grover.

"Spirits, guys-"

Percy was cut short as the water around them churned, causing both their ship and the Fire Nation ship to pitch uncertainly.

"Who's doing that?" said Percy.

A chorus of not me's rang out, and the waves crashed more violently. The crew held on to each other, trying to stay upright. Some closer to edge were not so lucky. The rocking of the boat caused them to fall overboard, and the churning of the ocean forced them under.

There was a roar and huge wave rocked the boat and hit the crew with a huge force. It was as if they had hit a wall. The ship rocked as something heavy pushed against the bottom. A huge, black head erupted from the waves. Flares of skin encircled its head like it was a crown. It opened its huge mouth, showing rows of sharp teeth. Water shot out from its mouth like a jet, spraying the Fire Nation ship.

"_Di immortales_..." said Percy.

The serpent went below the surface and pitched the Fire Nation ship. Men went overboard - some were thrown, and some jumped. Either way, in the water the men were doomed. The second the bodies broke the surface, they were scooped up by the monster. The waters were stained red.

"Grover, what is that thing?" asked Percy.

"How would I know?"

"I don't know, man. You're like the animal expert."

He shook his head solemnly, "That's no animal."

The monster dipped back under the water and nudged the ship with a tremendous force, causing it to list violently, taking on gallons upon gallons of water. The soldiers that had managed to stay on the ship now fell one by one into the sea, and the vessel slowly started to sink. Percy realized that the second the ship was under the waves, they would be next.

"Make for land," he yelled. The crew scrambled, fixing ropes and sails. Kassuq ran towards the sides with a couple other waterbenders, bending the water to propel them faster to the beach. The ship was damaged, however, and the waters were rough. The only chance they had at survival was for them to reach land.

They were close now. Kassuq and the waterbenders gave one final push. "Lower the anchor!" said Percy as they sailed towards the coast.

The crew ran to the beach the second the ship had settled. They collapsed in the sand, all thoroughly spent. They watched as the sea monster completely destroyed the sinking ship and muttered amongst themselves, worried that the monster would turn around and set sights on them. They prayed that they were not the next target. The Fire Nation ship was completely sunk, and the crew held their breath. The monster receded into the sea.

Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe the water is too shallow," one of the sailors speculated.

"Or maybe it saw the Fire Nation as more of a threat," said Grover. Many of the men looked over at him questioningly.

Grover shifted sheepishly, "Well, they were the only ones shooting fireballs..."

"Don't count your blessings just yet," said a new, female voice. The crew stood up abruptly and turned around, weapons drawn. They realized quickly that they were outnumbered. An army of women donned in makeup and armor was waiting for them. They were holding fans and were ready in their battle stances.

Percy had never seen a more threatening sight.

"Once we're done with you," continued the girl, "You're gonna wish you were attacked by the Unagi."

* * *

A/N: Hi, I really hope you enjoyed that. If you did (or didn't) please post a review. Con-crit is also very much appreciated. I'm not kidding guys, it makes me cry when people respond to my writing.

The next chapter should also be up by next week at the latest, wherein Percy and his crew is interrogated, and a stowaway is discovered.


	2. He's a Pirate

A/N: I hope everybody had a lovely holiday. Consider this chapter a gift from me to you. It's basically twice as long as the first chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. Not super happy with it, but that's what happens when it's a lot of exposition. I promise there will be more action next chapter! And feel free to ask any questions you have about this AU. As my friend pointed out, this crossover is a bit ambitious. I'll try to answer every question I get as long as it doesn't spoil anything. I'll usually answer them in the author's note at the end of the chapter.

I know I've been talking too much, so enjoy!

* * *

Percy drew his sword, but was promptly hit in the arm, causing Riptide to be knocked out of his hand and onto the white sand. The girl's grey eyes flashed in anger and she grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him with one smooth motion. Her fan pressed hard against his neck. Men rushed forward to his aid, but each were individually stopped by the warriors. Even though many of the men were big, they were overtaken easily.

Percy laughed. He was trying to diffuse the tension, but came out as more of a nervous chuckle instead, "This is all just a huge misunderstanding. We're not a threat to you guys," he winced at the word 'guys.' "Erm... ladies. Look, we were just trying to get away from that... whatever it is. The spaghetti, or whatever you said. We were just trying to save ourselves -"

The girl started to bind his hands rather roughly and shoved him forward, "You better get your story straight soon," she said as they walked them up a path through the trees to the center of the town.

"What do you mean?" said Percy, "That's our story. That's the _true_ story." He saw a large pole and a group of men standing next to it. He looked even further up the pole to see that at the top was a statue of Avatar Kyoshi, dressed exactly how the warriors were. The girl pushed him down so he was sitting with his back to the pole and she tied him to it. The rest of the crew were lined up against a tall wooden fence. All of their arms were tied behind their backs, and the warriors held on tight to their biceps. _Why am I the only one tied up to the pole?_ thought Percy grumpily, _What does she got against me?_

Kassuq made eye contact with Percy. He looked pointedly down to a container tied around his waist. He still had some bending water left. Percy gave a very slight shake of his head, hoping that they could be able to negotiate with them.

The girl stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. Her face was pale white, and her lips and eyes were exaggerated with red makeup. She had long golden hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Percy had to admit it - she was very pretty. And he had never seen hair like hers before. His opinion of her was a little soured by the way she had tied him up, however.

"The problem with your story is that it doesn't add up," she said, " Why were the Fire Nation attacking you? And you weren't in danger of the Unagi until you came close to the bay. You guys put this whole island in danger. The last time the Fire Nation got that close to our island, it was burnt down."

Percy looked around. Almost all the buildings were completely intact. "It looks pretty fine to me?"

The girl glared at him and landed a kick to his side. It was just a warning kick, sure to leave a decent sized bruise but no real lasting damage. He groaned in pain, "What the heck, lady?"

"Are you always this stupid? The island was obviously rebuilt. I feel bad for the crew that has _you_ as a captain," she said.

"Wait, back up. Captain? I'm not the captain. Arrluk..." he trailed off, desperately searching for him in the line of his crew. He wasn't there. In fact, it looked like a whole third of the crew was gone.

"He's not here," he said softly. The men looked around, confirming it for themselves. Percy knew that the crew wasn't going to get out of that situation unscathed, but he would have never predicted the extent of how many men they would actually lose.

The girl's face softened a little, but she did not relent, "I assumed by the way you commanded the crew," she said, then sighed, "Why were you being pursued by the Fire Nation?" she asked again.

Percy looked over to his crew, but none would meet his eyes. He searched desperately for a good answer to tell her. He knew that if he were to tell her the truth, it would not turn out well for them.

"We sailed too close to Fire Nation waters," he said finally, "They didn't like that."

The girl narrowed her eyes and leaned down so her face was inches away from him. Her grey eyes were incredibly intense, and Percy could smell the earthy scent of her makeup. A strand of golden hair fell so it was in front of her face and tickled the tip of Percy's nose, "What's your name?" she asked, almost whispering.

"Um, Percy."

"Percy," she smiled, "You promise that you're telling the truth?"

He nodded, "Pinky swear."

"Okay. Then you won't mind this," she said, then stood up abruptly and turned to a group of men, "Search the boat."

"No, wait" Grover spoke up, "That's not necessary." Percy gave him a confused look, but he continued.

"I didn't want to play this card. I never wanted any special treatment, but..." he took a deep breath, "I'm the Avatar."

The girl looked at him, incredulous, "_You_," she said, "need to shut up, because you're crazy. Boys, search the boat. Girls, take the men somewhere they won't cause any trouble."

* * *

Every year in their village Arrluk and his crew would dock in the fishing bay to restock their supplies and trade with the local merchantmen. Sally would never let Percy out of the house when the crew were in town. They lived in the fishing village alongside the coast, and the week that Arrluk's crew returned, their village was crawling with sailors. Percy's mom would often grumble to herself about the visitors, but Percy never could understand what the big deal was.

One year when he was twelve, he decided that he was old enough to find out for himself who these men really are. While his mother considered the men a threat to their safety, Percy had no idea why he should be so afraid of them. So, he did what he always did - he decided to see for himself. He devised up a plan - not a very complicated plan, but still - and tried to find the perfect day to set it into motion.

"Can I go to Grover's house?" Percy asked his mom when she was at her busiest. She sat at her table with different types of shells and rocks atop of it, sorting them into little piles according to color and size. She was the best jewelry maker in the whole Water Tribe and was especially famous for her engagement necklaces. In the spring she always had large orders of necklaces, as the warm weather seemed to melt the ice from the young Water Tribe men's hearts, and couples made arrangements for summer marriages.

"You know how I don't like you going out when the sailors are here, Percy," she said absentmindedly. She took a piece of string and wrapped it around a blue rock in the shape of a crescent moon.

"I promise I'll just go straight to his house and back," he said, "I'll steer clear of any soldiers."

The biggest problem in Sally and Percy's relationship was trust. Sally simply trusted Percy too much. Which, of course, almost always led him to getting into trouble.

Sally obliged, and Percy did go to Grover's house. It was his first stop, after all. Percy loved going to Grover's house. He grabbed a handful of old vegetables that his mother would have thrown out and took them to Grover's caribou-goats. He always made sure to give something to Leroy, a grey caribou-goat with curly horns and long, gangly legs. He would never tell the other caribou-goats this, but Leroy was his favorite.

"Grover!" called Percy, petting Leroy through the wooden fence that kept him in. Grover peeked his head out of the front door.

"Your mom let you out?" he said, looking at him in awe.

He nodded, "I told her I was just gonna stay at your house. But we're actually gonna go meet the sailors."

Grover's closed the door slightly so only his eyes were showing, wide with disbelief, "We can't go meet the sailors! They're drunks and they're violent, that's what everybody says. And some people even say they're..." he gulped, then beckoned Percy closer. He leaned in so that his forehead was resting against the wood, and Grover whispered into his ear, "Some people even say that they're pirates."

Percy's face erupted into a huge grin, "If you're trying to deter me, it's not working," he said to him, "I actually want to meet them even more now."

Percy helped Grover sneak out. He had, at first, refused to go with Percy. He relented when he realized that Percy was going no matter what Grover did. So he bucked up and declared himself "Percy's Protector."

"Did you honestly think that I was going to let you go meet pirates without me by your side, protecting you? Yeah, right," he said as they walked towards the fishing bay where Percy's father used to work. They settled on a distance far enough away to be safe from the sailors, but close enough to still seem them.

The boys peeked out from behind a cart filled with fish. The smell was rancid, but the boys were too anxious to even notice it. They watched as the sailors milled around the ship, a large black vessel called The Anticlea. It stood out like remarkably against the white backdrop of the snow and the sky. Percy could understand why his mother wanted him to stay away. The boat was a menacing sight and he had seen nothing like it in the Water Tribe, but that made him all the more curious about the ship. He convinced himself that they actually were pirates - they must have been. Percy watched intently as men carried cargo from the boat and brought supplies back on it. As two large men stumbled down the dock carrying a chest on their shoulders, he could have sworn he saw a glint of gold.

"Maybe they are pirates," he whispered to Grover.

"Pirates, eh?" said a deep, booming voice behind them. The boys jumped up and flattened themselves against the cart. The voice belonged to a huge man. He had dark skin and long hair pulled back into a ponytail. The most threatening thing, however, was a long scar that ran down his cheek.

"Oh, don't be scared," he said to them, "We aren't pirates, not exactly."

"If you aren't pirates, then what are you?" asked Percy, stepping a bit forward from the fish cart. Grover was still right up against it, though. He looked like his back was glued to it.

The man bit his lip in concentration, "Sailors," he said, "Adventurers," he added with a smile. He stuck out his hand, and Percy shook it, "I'm Arrluk, captain of the Anticlea."

"Why is it called the Anticlea?" asked Grover while he shook his hand.

"It's my mother's name," said Arrluk, "And I loved my mother, and I love that ship. Maybe some day, when you boys are a little older, I'll take you on an adventure with me."

From that day on, every year the boys would go back to the fishing grounds and talk with Arrluk and all of the other sailors. They went aboard the ship many times, and sometimes they would help out, whether it was cleaning or managing the supplies. He looked forward to their visits every year, and every year he waited for the one day that Arrluk keep his promise and take Percy on an adventure.

* * *

The crew were stripped of their weapons and stowed in a stable, hands still tied behind their backs. There were two girls guarding the entrance, but obviously didn't find the men much of a threat. They were enthralled in deep conversation and occasionally laughter would break up their chatter. Although the girls seemed to be having a good time, it really did not lighten the mood of the crew one bit. They all sat in the hay, feeling utterly humiliated.

Grover sighed, "You just had to pinky promise."

"Excuse me?" said Percy, "You're the one who was all, 'Oh, I'm the Avatar!'"he made sure that his impression of Grover was squeaky enough to offend him.

"Hey! I was just trying to help. You never know, they could've bought it. The Avatar _is _back, I could easily be him," he said.

"Except that the Avatar is an airbender," said Percy.

"So?" replied Grover.

"So you look like a scruffy kid from the Northern Water Tribe. Not a bald, airbending monk."

Grover narrowed his eyes, "What are you trying to say?"

"Guys, I really don't think that's important right now," said Kassuq, "What we should really be worried about is what they're going to do with us when they find all the Fire Nation weapons on the boat."

They didn't have much time to mull that over, as the girl who had interrogated Percy returned. Percy sat up a little straighter to get a better view. She stood in the doorway and conversed with the two guards. The sun illuminated her hair so it looked golden against the white of her skin. Percy told himself to snap out of it - the girl he was staring at so intensely could very much be the girl to get them killed.

The guards nodded and opened the doors all the way. They ushered the crew out into the open and lined them up against the barn. The girl was there, along with the men she told to search their ship. A couple other warriors ambled around casually, clear that they weren't there to help out, but were waiting for a show. _Someone should get those girls some popcorn_, thought Percy, _Everybody knows that this will be entertaining._ The girl who had interrogated him walked up and down the line, glaring at each other them individually. Grover looked over at Percy, with a look that said something like,_ I think she found the weapons_. Percy gulped and averted her eyes when she came close.

She finally stopped pacing and stood right in front of the men with her hands on her hips. "Percy," she said, beckoning him forward. He sighed and stepped forward.

"I know that you aren't the Captain, but I'm going to assume you're willing to speak on behalf of the crew?"

He nodded, "If it's okay with everyone else?" he looked around at the men, but none spoke out. Percy shrugged.

"You say that you mean this island no harm, right?" she said to him. Percy nodded once again, his fingers twitching behind his back. He felt utterly helpless under her gaze.

"Well, would you say that the presence of a whole arsenal of Fire Nation weapons would, indeed, put this island in harms way? Would you agree with that?" she said. Percy didn't know what to say, so he simply shrugged.

"What the spirits were you thinking? Did you honestly think that you were going to get off scott-free and we would just let you sail away?" she glared at him, "Answer me,"

"I," he gulped, "Um, we didn't think that we would meet anyone here. We just wanted to dock to get away from whatever that monster is, make some repairs and then leave. We weren't planning on using the weapons. The weapons aren't ours to use. We never wanted to put you guys in danger."

"Are you spies?" asked the girl.

"What? No. We aren't spies. We're from the Northern Water Tribe. We're just sailors," said Percy.

"So you're not spies," she said.

"No."

"So you're pirates?"

Percy balked, "Pirates?" he said, "I wouldn't call us pirates. No, we aren't pirates. We're just sailors, I promise. I know the weapons make us look, well, bad. But we're honestly not bad people. We have nothing to do with the Fire Nation, we're against them. That's why we have the weapons. We're trying to subvert them and help the people being oppressed by the Fire Nation. We didn't take the weapons to use against you or anyone else, we're trying to arm rebels in Omashu so they can take back their city."

"So you admit that you stole the weapons from the Fire Nation?" said the girl.

Percy groaned, "Yeah, I guess you can-"

"So you _are_ pirates."

"Look, lady-"

"Annabeth," said the girl, interrupting him once again.

Percy nodded and tried to calm down, "Look, Annabeth. If you want to call us pirates, fine. But we're trying to help these people take back their city. I made a promise to them, and maybe it was a stupid promise, but I honestly don't care. They need all the help they can get to defeat the Fire Nation. I'm assuming you're against the war, right? Any person against the Fire Nation is a friend of ours. We can negotiate something, we can make a deal. Let's work together."

"I don't trust you," said Annabeth.

"I'm a very trustworthy person once you get to know me," he said, trying show her his most charming smile.

"I wasn't done talking," she said, "I don't trust you, but I do believe you. Is Omashu really occupied by the Fire Nation?"

Percy silently rejoiced in his head, thinking that his charm must have worked on her. He nodded, "It's completely taken over."

"I know some people who live there," she sighed, "I thought Omashu was impenetrable."

"We all did. But you can still help them and they may still be alive. If you set us free, we'll be able to give them the weapons they need to fight back."

Annabeth bit her lip and studied his face like he was a math problem that she was trying to figure out how to solve. Percy looked away, afraid that he was blushing.

"We can negotiate something later," she said. Percy felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. He knew that Annabeth and the warriors would be very valuable allies to them. "But right now," she continued, "We have something else to discuss."

She waved her hand to the men behind, and they walked up next to her. The were pushing a boy that looked about Percy's age. His hands were tied in front of him, however, and he wore clothes of red and black. He was short, and rather thin. He didn't look like he was a Fire Nation Soldier, but Percy assumed from his clothes that he was from the Fire Nation. He didn't look like a threat, however, be it from his short stature or the condition he was in. His clothes were in tatters and charred. His dark face was bruised and bleeding in some places, and he had wild curly hair that stuck up all over his head. Percy thought that ihis hair was messy.

The men kicked his knees out from behind him so he was kneeling beside Annabeth, "We found him hiding out in the lower decks. Said his name was Li," said one of the men to Annabeth,

"I most certainly did not," said Not-Li, "Don't put words in my mouth" It took all of Percy's self-control to keep a straight face, but he knew he wasn't doing a very good job of it. He could tell that his face was screwed up in a weird expression because he was trying so hard not to smile.

"We're pretty sure he's from the shipwreck. He's a Fire nation soldier," continued the man, trying to ignore Not-Li.

"Putting words in my mouth _again_. I'm not a soldier," Not-Li said exasperatedly, "I'm an engineer, a repair boy. Well, a repair _man_, if you like," he winked at Annabeth. Percy's shoulders shook with silent laughter and he looked down at the ground to try and hide how hard he was actually laughing. "But I'm definitely not a soldier. I don't agree with the Fire Nation, I just had no place to go after, well, after my mother died. It was either work for the Fire Nation or be homeless."

This caused a very awkward moment of silence. Percy felt really bad for the kid, he thought he was funny and obviously not a big-bad Fire Nation soldier. He knew that not everybody from the Fire Nation was evil, but Annabeth didn't seem convinced at all by his story. "Do you know him?" She asked Percy, "Is he a part of your crew?"

Percy shook his head and cleared his throat, "No," he said, "I've never seen him before."

Not-Li gave him a nod of his head and a look that said _Sup?_ "I like your ponytail, man."

Percy smiled, "Thanks, it's a Water Tribe thing."

"Could you guys not," asked Annabeth, glaring at the both of them, "We're trying to be serious over here. Percy, Li was found on your boat. We don't think he's a stowaway, though. I'm pretty sure you'd agree. We think that he escaped the Unagi and went on your ship for shelter."

"Again, my name is not Li," said Not-Li, "And you can just ask me what I was doing on the boat, I can talk for myself."

"Okay, what were you doing on our boat?" asked Percy.

Not-Li shrugged, "Well, to be honest... Blondie was actually spot-on."

Annabeth gave a huge sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, "This is why we can't have men as Kyoshi warriors," she muttered to herself, "Look, whatever your name is, you're obviously Fire Nation, so we have to do something about you."

Before she could finish her thought, a Kyoshi warrior ran towards the group. "Annabeth!" she said frantically as she ran up to her, "I was patrolling the beach from the top of the hill and I saw smoke on the horizon. It's the Fire Nation, they're coming back."

Annabeth cursed. She turned to Percy, "Do you see what you guys have done?" she cried, "You brought the Fire Nation here, putting the whole island in danger. Just for stealing some stupid weapons!"

"Well, maybe if you didn't tie us up and just let us be on our way they wouldn't have even come near you. We're the ones they want, so you should just let us go and deal with them on our own," said Percy. This caused an uproar of dissent within the crew. "We can't fight them on our own," a couple said, while other people mentioned the loss of men and the terrible condition of the ship.

"Okay, okay," said Percy, "That's a lie. We won't be able to handle a fight against the Fire Nation. But we can help you, I promise. Just trust us. Please." Although Percy's back was to the men, he could visualize in his head every single person in the crew simultaneously rolling their eyes. He realized that, once again, he made another promise - and a pretty hefty one, in fact.

Annabeth opened her mouth to talk, but was interrupted by Not-Li, who was still on the ground. "Um, what about me, guys?"

"Not-Li can help us," said Percy, "Or, you know, whatever your name actually is."

"Leo," he said, "Leo Valdez."

"Huh," said Percy, thinking that it was a really weird name, "You sure it isn't Li?"

"No," said Annabeth, "Li isn't going to help us. Percy, you and your crew will be untied and we can think of a strategy for defending the island, and assuming we all survive you can leave and be on your way. Meanwhile, Li's gonna go in the barn where we will be able to make sure he doesn't cause any trouble."

One of the men roughly grabbed his arm and walked him into the barn, which Percy guessed was the makeshift prison for now.

"Keep a close eye on him," Annabeth said to another girl who was going to guard him, "Make sure his hands stay tied."

"C'mon, does he really need to keep his arms tied? He doesn't seem like a bad guy," he said.

"We can't trust him," said Annabeth, "He's a firebender, Percy."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the reviews that I've gotten so far, they really do motivate me a lot. As for gnatbug14's question, yes I'm going to pair Percy up with someone. There will be shipping in this story, although I do like to have it in the background a little more. There's going to be a lot of shiptease, because I like writing that kinda stuff, so you have that to look forward to!

Please review, and if you see any mistakes feel free to point them out. Reviews make me incredibly happy, you don't even know.


	3. Changing of the Tides

The crew, now freed, congregated on the beach. The sun was setting, and the orange light illuminated the men's gloomy expressions. Everything was awash in warm colors, as if the whole land were in the middle of a fire. Percy looked over to their ship. The islanders who had searched it did not move things around, but it was still in a terrible condition from the fight. So many repairs had to be made before they even thought of leaving the island.

He turned away - the sight depressed him. He crossed his arms over his chest protectively and looked at his crew, who glared right back at him.

"We need a captain," he said timidly, "Before we discuss our next move, we need someone to be in charge." The crew still glared at him, and the only ones who didn'tlook at angry at him were Kassuq and Grover - but they were definitely not pleased.

"I think you should be the captain," said Grover after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah," agreed another man, "He's so willing to speak on behalf of us of us anyway."

A bunch of men grunted in agreement and made comments about their dissatisfaction. He wrapped his arms tighter around his chest, "That wasn't my fault, though," he said, "She just chose me to be the one to speak..."

"Well, some of us might not have liked what you said," replied another crewmate.

Percy's heart sank. He knew that he had negotiated and made many promises to the Kyoshi Warriors, all without ever once consulting the crew.

"Look, I realize that I've been a real crappy substitute for a captain," said Percy," But you guys don't have to be stuck with me. Anybody else can volunteer to be captain and I'll be happy to follow them." he studied the crew intently, but no one spoke up or met his eye. None of the older men seemed willing to volunteer, and the younger men seemed too scared to speak.

"You guys are honestly going to do this to me?" he said, "You're really going to force me?" It wasn't that Percy didn't want to be captain. In fact, he had always dreamt of the day he would captain his own ship. The circumstances leading up to this moment, however, were the absolute last way he would have ever envisioned them. They had lost Arrluk and half of their men, the ship was in shambles, the Fire Nation was on their way to destroy them, and Percy, the only one willing to step up to the role as captain, had lost the trust of the whole crew.

There were certain things that sailors like them did before setting off to sea. While many had their own superstitions, there was always the ritual that was automatic for the crew. Before setting off the men would stand before their captain, Arrluk. He would always state the rules of the voyage: no drink, fornication, or looting without his order. And he would always call for a vote on himself as captain, usually followed by a speech.

"I have assembled you men as my crew," he would say, "In the assumption that you will look to me as your captain. If anybody objects, you may speak now."

No one would speak.

"As you have accepted me as your captain, it is my duty to tell you what our journey on the high seas will entail. We will be sailing in the waters of all the nations; Water, Earth, and Fire. We will trade with those who are willing and bring back supplies when we can. We may also discover ways to subvert the Fire Nation or we may raid their ships or their forts. The journey will not be a sheltered one, and any mutineers will be given the most extreme punishment. If you do not agree or do not want to take this journey, you may leave now. Those who stay are presumed to have understood my warnings and will always follow the Captain's orders."

A resounding "Aye" would ring out as every man agreed. They would then board and set off on their journey.

Percy didn't think that he would ever be able to demand the kind of respect that the crew so willingly gave to Arrluk. He knew that the second he declared himself captain he was going to lose some men. And when he told the crew what he expected the journey to entail, he would probably lose the rest of them. He felt as if a dark cloud was hovering over him as he looked around at the faces of the crew. He had come to trust these men with his life, but he felt like he had betrayed them all.

He knew that there was nothing else to be done, and that they had to take some action. He cleared his throat, "I do hereby declare myself as captain of the Anticlea. I have accepted you men as my crew in the assumption that you will look to me as such," Percy bit his lip as many eyes glared stonily at him, "If anyone objects to my standing, you may leave."

There was a tense silence as a handful of men stepped away. Percy knew this would happen. Arrluk was a great captain, and he could never be a fit enough replacement, no matter how hard he tried.

"Okay," he said to those who remained standing in front of him, "As you men have accepted me as your captain, I guess I should tell you what our journey will entail," He took a deep breath - Percy thought that Arrluk always sounded so cool when he gave his speech, but now that Percy was saying it, he just felt foolish. "The first thing we need to do is help Kyoshi Island, because it's our fault they're in danger in the first place. Then we have to fix the boat because it's a wreck. And after that I'm sailing to Omashu to provide the rebels with weapons so they can take back their city. After that I'm basically going to do what we've always been doing. So you can assume that the journey won't be easy. Or 'sheltered'- that's what Arrluk would say. Mutineers will be given... a pretty harsh punishment. I suppose I can't really kill anybody, that's kind of against my moral code," a lot of the men were staring at him oddly now, which affirmed Percy's thought that this was probably the lousiest Captain's speech in the history of sailing, "Well, if you don't agree with what I've said or don't want to take this journey, then you can go stand over there with the guys who weren't cool with me being captain. Those who stay, if there's even anybody left, are presumed to have understood me and will always follow the captain's orders."

There was a very weak sounding "Aye." At the same time, almost the whole rest of the crew left to be with the men who didn't want him as captain. He nodded - he had expected as much. Only four people were left standing with him. Kassuq and Grover - that was going to be a given, he knew - along with a younger guy named Miki and his uncle, Siku. Percy gave his thanks to them.

"Alright, let's get some sleep and we can figure everything out tommorrow."

* * *

The very next morning, Annabeth sent for Percy. Thinking that he didn't want to make the same mistakes that he did before, he decided to take his crew with him. Granted, it was a crew with a total of four people, but he told himself that it was the thought that counted. A couple of the warriors escorted them to a one-floor building that he assumed was the warriors training room. Annabeth and a handful of warriors were inside waiting for them. They still wore their traditional dress and makeup, and Annabeth looked very displeased with him.

"I only need Percy here," she said, "We just need to negotiate our battle tactics."

"Well, agreeing to things without the crew's consent kinda screwed me over, so I decided to take them with me this time," said Percy, sitting on the floor across from Annabeth, "I'm kinda hot, do you mind?" he said as he shrugged off his fur coat.

Annabeth looked like she certainly did mind, but she said nothing about it. Instead, she said, "This is your crew?"

He nodded, "Yup. Behold!"

Annabeth bit her lip, incredulous, "This isn't going to work," she muttered, "I was planning on having more manpower..."

"Well, this is all that you have. I couldn't convince the crew to accept me as their captain, let alone get caught up in this mess. They're gonna build or find their own ship and then leave the island as soon as they can. I can't persuade them to do anything, I have no authority over them."

She narrowed her eyes, "That makes no sense" she said, "If you're captain, then they should listen to you."

"Well, that may be the way it works for warriors, but it's not like that for sailors. What's your plan for the Fire Nation?" he asked, not feeling like getting into a conversation about the inner workings of sailing.

"You have a couple of waterbenders in your crew, yes? I was thinking that, since they will be using the bay to invade, you can be stationed there to hold them off as best you can, using your waterbending. And once you have worn them down, the warriors and I will come and try to finish them off. The ship isn't a big warship, so there won't be that many to fight. They should be easy to drive off. Kyoshi Island, until very recently, has not been involved in the war. If they retreat, they will not come back. They might follow your ship, but they won't bother us."

The four crewmates looked at Percy with worried looks on their faces. He nodded to them, "Yeah, I feel the same way," he said to them, then turned to Annabeth, "No, that's not going to happen. I can't agree to that."

Her grey eyes flashed, "It's the most logical way of going about this. I'm the most skilled tactician on this island, and that's how it's going to go. It makes perfect sense - you're a waterbender, you'll slow them down the most. And the only source of water is the ocean, where they will be docked. It's the only way I'm going to do this. You either agree with me, Seaweed Brain, or the Kyoshi Warriors will not be there to finish them off and you and your crew can deal with the Fire Nation yourselves."

Percy was speechless. He made up his mind then and there that if he hated anybody in the world, it was probably that girl. "Um, Seaweed Brain?" he said when he found his voice again. It was all he could think of - he was unable to think of any other response.

"You have to choose," she said, "You fight with us, our way, or you fight alone."

Percy thought hard about that ultimatum. They still had to fix the boat, that was their first priority. Of course, it would be incredibly hard to fix a ship with no crew left. And if they went with the Warrior's plan, it would be incredibly risky. However, while it might have seemed like Annabeth had given them a choice, there really was no other option. He turned to his crew, who looked totally defeated. They're probably regretting accepting me as a captain, he thought.

He took a deep breath, "Okay. I'll accept your plan on one condition," he said, "You have to set Leo free. Our ship needs repairs, badly. We can't do it on our own, and he'd be a real help to us. You don't have to worry about him backstabbing you or anything anymore, he'll be solely my problem."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes and studied Percy for what felt like an eternity. He tried not to falter under her gaze, but he felt like an insect compared with her. He also couldn't get over the fact that she was indeed really, really pretty and could probably really, really kick his butt.

She finally dropped her gaze and sighed, "You're crazy. But we have a deal." She held out her hand. He then proceeded to spit in his palm, and outstretched it.

She slowly brought her hand back to her side, "On second thought, we don't have to shake on it."

* * *

The warriors were definitely not happy to hear the news that their only prisoner was to be set free, and Percy tried his hardest to get himself and Leo out of there as fast as possible to escape their wrath. He had already learned firsthand what it was like to be in the path of an angry Kyoshi Warrior, and he never wanted to be in that situation ever again. He could imagine that he felt the angry stares burning into the back so vividly that he often looked back at Leo just to make sure he wasn't using his firebending on him. Percy knew that the best course of action was to get the both of them out of there, quickly. He held onto Leo's upper arm and steered him toward the ship. It wasn't because Percy didn't trust him - the kid had grown on him during the story time they were together - no, it was the simple fact that Leo didn't have much of an attention span, if any at all. Percy could tell that he had bored out of his wits in the makeshift prison, and his mind was going a million miles an hour now that he was freed.

"And this is the ship," said Percy, finally letting go of his arm. He watched Leo as he intently studied the ship and biting his lip. He was finally struck with exactly how young the firebender looked. The fact that he was short and scrawny was a definite factor to this observation, but even disregarding that, Leo could not have been any older than Percy - if not younger. "How, um, just how much experience do you have at fixing boats?" he asked.

Leo snorted derisively, "You're looking at the best nautical engineer in the Fire Nation Navy, son. You better show some respect." He walked up onto the deck, studying every inch of the boat intently, "Wow, you really demolished this ship, huh? What did she ever do to you?"

Percy ignored this, as he was still taken aback by the boys claims. He couldn't possibly an engineer for the Fire Nation, could he? "But, you're just a kid," he said, feeling a little foolish by the way he was following Leo around the deck like a lost puppy.

"So's the Avatar, but I'd say he's a pretty skilled guy, right? You don't have to worry about me, dude. Leo's got this. I'm the man when it comes to anything mechanical. And your ship really isn't that bad, I could probably fix all the serious stuff in two days and it would be sea-worthy. But after that I'd need some extra supplies to fortify it more, maybe. I'm also thinking maybe we can add some other stuff, too. Like thirty cannons, some navigational equipment, maybe a big figurehead in the front. I'm thinking a big dragon head. Nothing too flashy, of course. It's all about subtlety with me. But tell me a giant dragon head wouldn't totally be badass."

"We'll worry about that kinda stuff later," said Percy, feeling a bit out of his league, "It just needs to be able to sail again, first. The islanders gathered up a bunch of supplies on the beach, so I think you should be fine for now. And thanks for doing this for us."

Leo shook his head, "It's nothing, dude. Just consider me part of your crew. And I'll do my best to get it ready for sailing, but we'll have to anchor down some other place with resources for me to work with if you want it to be restored to its former glory. And, you know, totally pimped out."

"I know just the place. Once we leave the island we'll head straight to Nidhi. You'll find everything you need there."

Leo put his hand up in a salute, "Aye aye, Captain. No idea where that is, but I trust your judgment."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Aye aye, repair boy."

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust him?" asked Grover the second Percy stepped off the ship, "He's a firebender. You know what they say about firebenders..."

"People probably say a lot of nasty things about waterbenders, too. Leo seems trustworthy. A little odd, but he doesn't strike me as the kind of person to betray us or anything," he said.

"We barely know him, Percy," said Grover, "Not to mention the fact that we're leaving him alone on a ship full of weapons he could easily use against us."

"You worry too much," he said, "And the magazine is locked up, so even if he were from the Water Tribe, he wouldn't be getting anywhere near that stuff."

"I worry just the right amount, thank you. And with good reason, considering all the trouble you get into. _Especially_ considering all the trouble you've gotten us into recently," he gave him and friendly shove.

Percy shoved him back, "That's why you're here. You get me out of trouble, remember? In fact, I was thinking... Now that I'm Captain, I think it would be a good idea if you were my first mate, you know? I mean, only if you want to, of course. It's a big responsibility so I understand if -"

"Shut up, Percy," he interrupted, "I'm your best friend, of course I'm gonna be your first mate."

"Thanks, man," he tousled Grover's curly hair, "I'll need all the help I can get, what with this upcoming battle against the Fire Nation we've been thrown into."

Grover groaned, "Don't remind me."

* * *

The next two days were a blur to Percy. The old crew were still hanging around the island with plans to build their own ship, so things were incredibly awkward. While the old crew hurried to get a boat built, Percy's crew were running around trying to prepare for the arrival of the Fire Nation. Leo was making very good progress with the ship, and the rest of the crew were training to be ready for the soldiers' arrival. Percy spent hours with Annabeth going over the battle plan, and every time he went over it the more nervous he felt. He'd like to think that they had gotten closer those couple of days, but Percy's obvious derision to her strategy made things a little icy between them.

It was during one of these sessions when the news came. Like most other times they've been together, Percy and Annabeth were arguing.

"No, that's idiotic," said Annabeth, "You don't have the numbers to pull off a successful phalanx. Even if you do have your waterbending, you'll still be incredibly outnumbered. You'll be lucky to be able to hold them off in the formation I told you to take, if you think you'll be strengthening your defense with a phalanx then you're really naive, Seaweed Brain."

"You see, this is why my crew feels like you're setting us up for failure. Just give us ten of your warriors and we can pull off the phalanx and hold them off longer," he said.

"No, I need my warriors to be with me. We need all the numbers we're going to get, since we'll be the ones to actually force them to retreat. You don't even have the weapons fit for a phalanx, and even if you did you'll probably still get flanked and we'll be doomed. Why are you so obsessed with it anyway?"

"Instinct? I don't know. Why are you so obsessed with condemning my crew?" he said.

"You're insufferable," she rolled her eyes.

"Don't try to sound smart."

The door flew open, and both Percy and Annabeth turned their heads quickly. It was one of the Kyoshi Warriors, and she looked terrified.

"They're almost here," she said, "Less than a day's time, and they'll be practically on our doorstep."

* * *

A/N: Hey, sorry this took a while to be posted, I had finals and then a poopload of homework. But it's up now, and I'm working on the next chapter as we speak, so I don't think it should take as long as it did this time.

Next chapter, the slump of exposition ends (for now) and the crew and Kyoshi Warriors are pitted against the Fire Nation to defend the island. Things go... well, not according to plans. Please remember to review, and thanks to the people who have followed/favorited this story and gave me reviews :) It really does motivate me, so thanks!


	4. Those Who Inhabit This Land

If Percy were to say that he was ready for this fight, he would be a filthy liar. He was scrambling like a madman trying to make sure that all the last minute details were seen to. Among other things, Percy had to make sure that the ship was set for sailing and that his crew were well-versed in the plan that he and Annabeth (well, mostly Annabeth) had thought up. He was also able to convince her to hand over five Kyoshi Warriors to help the crew out with the first stage of the battle plan. Percy assumed that this could only mean that she was starting to warm up to him - he hoped.

Then, of course, there was Leo. Percy trusted the kid, but it was starting to seem like he was the only one who did. Suggestions that Leo could help out with the fight were immediately shot down by warrior and crewmate alike.

"He probably sees this as an opportunity to escape back to the Fire Nation," said Grover, "If he does fight, who knows if he might turn on _us_?"

Annabeth had a similar reaction. "I am not letting you put my warriors in any more danger, Seaweed Brain," she said, "I let you take our prisoner for your own benefit, but when the Fire Nation comes he better stay on your ship.

But when Percy broke the news to Leo, he shrugged it off. "I'm not much of a fighter, anyway," he said, "While you guys are off kicking the Fire Nation's ass, I'll make sure that the ship is ready to sail the second you want to leave."

Percy had a bad feeling that they were going to need it. He didn't say it out loud to Leo lest he jinx himself, but he was worried that a quick escape would be necessary.

The latest update had the Fire Nation perhaps an hour away from the island, at most. Percy and his crew set up on the beach and gathered their weapons. Along with waterbending, Percy made use of a double edged sword, triangular and made of a metal alloy that looked like bronze, but was significantly stronger. Grover, not much of a hand-to-hand combat kind of guy, had a big wooden club that he planned on using to knock out any Fire Nation soldier within his range.

Siku and Kassuq were waterbenders, and good ones at that. Kassuq liked to rely solely on his bending. Siku, however, was older and couldn't move as well as he used to, so he always kept a small dagger strapped to his arm.

Miki, Siku's nephew, wasn't a bender. Instead, he made good use of a long thin blade he had taken from a group of Earth Kingdom bandits. So while Percy did lose a good majority of his crew, he believed that he had kept some of the best fighters. Against a group of Fire Nation soldiers, however, he still wasn't quite sure if it would be enough.

The sun was beginning to set as he and his crew stood anxiously on the beach. The Fire Nation vessel was on the horizon and approaching quickly.

Percy fiddled with the sword hilt near his waist. He wore no armor, just regular Northern Water Tribe dress. His heavy fur coat was waiting for him on the boat. He felt that he would be too restricted in his movements if he were to wear that during this fight. Instead he wore a dark blue sleeveless wrap-around shirt that cinched at his waist. His pants were baggy and designed for the frigid Water Tribe winters, but were still practical. He wore his black hair tied back in a loose ponytail, and some hair fell in his face. He was certain it looked like a mess, though. On his best days it always looked a bit unruly, so it was easy to estimate that it looked terrible, since he had not been particularly interested in the way he looked these past couple days.

The ship approached ever closer, and Percy looked around at the crew and the five Kyoshi Warriors he was to be in charge of. If he had to be honest, his crew looked way more frightened than the warriors.

Grover walked up to him and ruffled his hair and stared towards the horizon with him. "If we die here, Captain," he said, "It's been a hell of a ride."

Percy scoffed, "You're so pessimistic," he said.

"Maybe you're just naive," Grover replied.

He shrugged, "We have to help, Grover."

Grover pushed him playfully, "You '_have to help_' everyone."

He smiled, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Their playful mood was soon disrupted, however, by the sight of the Fire Nation ship on the horizon, easy to spot from their position on the shore. Percy gulped, the doubt that had been running through his head all day coming to its height. Grover looked over to him with a worried look that seemed to convey the response to what they Percy had just said, that maybe it just was a bad thing.

* * *

"Waterbenders!" Called Percy. As the ship approached even close to the shore, Percy and the two other benders stepped forward and into the waves. Even though they only had the three benders with them, they were strong and the moon was just starting to peek out - bathing them in strength. They manipulated the waves, moving in sync and using the strength of the ocean against the Fire Nation vessel. It slowed them down considerably as men scrambled on deck to grab a hold of something lest they fall into the water. The ship was made mainly of metal, and was of considerable size, but not nearly as big as the ship that had recently chased them down. Percy estimated the crew only held fifteen or twenty men.

_That's good_, thought Percy, _That should be manageable_.

They didn't want to capsize the ship, they knew that they were not anywhere near powerful enough to do that. They just needed to put off the actual battle for as long as possible - the height of their power came with the rising of the moon, after all. And if any of the soldiers were nauseous or still had their sea legs, that was an added bonus.

"Let's pull back," said Percy, feeling that the ship was coming dangerously close to the shore. They fell back into formation with the handful of Kyoshi Warriors they were allowed to acquire, along with Grover and Miki.

"Brace yourselves, Gentlemen," said Percy as the ship slowed to a stop on the shore. "Um, and ladies," he added rather lamely, "You... brace yourselves too." He wasn't sure with the dying light, but he thought that the girls were scowling at him.

A tense silence fell over the beach as the crew watched the still ship with wary eyes. Then suddenly, there was a roar of rushing fire as a giant wall of flame rushed at them. The waterbenders quickly moved to put out the oncoming flames with the water they had on hand.

Fire Nation soldiers charged at them through the steam. The crew stayed in the formation that Annabeth had chosen for them. The three waterbenders in front, Grover and Miki with two Kyoshi Warriors behind them, and the remaining three warriors in the back. When the soldiers shot fire at them, the waterbenders were able to deflect it, and any man that got past them were engaged in battle with one of the seven that stood behind the benders.

The soldiers fought heartily against the sailors, with fire bursting everywhere like a carnival of light. The heat was growing intense, but as the moon started to peek out from behind a cloud, the benders felt a surge of power coursing through their bodies. Percy was able to bend gallons upon gallons of sea, and he used its force like a rocket to push each soldier away from his crew. The Fire Nation was having trouble getting through the first line of waterbenders, but some stragglers found their way.

Those who broke through the line felt that the fighting was just as hard, if not worse, than the conflict with the waterbenders. Percy, Kassuq, and Siku tried the best they could to simply hold the soldiers back and extinguish any flame. The non-benders, however, had a completely different agenda. Grover and Miki fought for their lives, dodging stray fireballs and fighting the firebenders back. Grover was able to incapacitate a couple men with his large club, and Miki used his blade like a madman. He was quick, able to dodge the bender's fire even up close. Miki was able to get right up against a man from the Fire Nation and bring him down with a single swipe of his sword.

This paled in comparison to the ferocity of the five Kyoshi warriors, however. They fought to defend their island, and their wrath was surely a sight to behold. They brought down man after man. Even though not many from the Fire Nation made it back towards them, the five warriors made sure that nothing could get past.

Percy looked back to watch them every couple of seconds. He knew that he should have been focused on what was right in front of him, but he couldn't help but feel guilty about the fact that he was the one to bring this upon Kyoshi Island. He couldn't imagine the shame he would feel if one or more of the Kyoshi Warriors died - it would be nothing but his fault. He couldn't be the one to bring about the downfall of the island, he wouldn't allow it.

This is why, when he saw four Fire Nation soldiers overtake the Kyoshi Warriors behind him, he broke formation. He could hear Annabeth's words in his head - "_Do not, under any circumstances, break your formation_." - but he couldn't help himself. He ran to the end of the line and used a water whip to turn a soldier around. He battled hand to hand with him, and the three remaining Kyoshi Warriors were able to go man on man and take the soldiers down. However, Percy could see that more and more men were getting through the front line. What had seemed like fifteen to twenty men seemed like a whole lot more when they were all charging at you. Percy had weakened his first line of defense, and they were slowly being overtaken.

That was when he caught fire. While he was battling with the man he had drawn away from the warriors, a firebender was able to get through the lines of defense that Percy had weakened. Seeing his comrade being overtaken by the young waterbender, he rushed to his side and set Percy on fire while he was busy with the other man. Percy swore and quickly tried to bend ocean water to extinguish the flames, but the man he had been fighting hit his arm so that the water wasn't able to reach him.

He could really start to feel the heat now. His clothes were thin, and the fire was starting to spread quickly. He tried not to panic, and remember what Arrluk had told him what to do if he were ever to be caught on fire - stop, drop, and roll.

So he dropped, but the men he had been fighting seemed to take this as a cue to overtake him while he was on the ground. They started to kick him straight in the gut and stomp on him. The stomping coupled with the sand on the beach extinguished the flames, but that was the least of Percy's worries then. At that moment, he was sure that he had lost.

But then a shout rang out, and immediately after that Percy saw something whizzing in the air and connect with one of the Fire Nation soldier's face. It was a knife, stuck right in between his eyes. He crumpled to the ground right on top of Percy, and the man's face was so close to his that he could have sworn he saw the man's life leave his eyes.

_Well, that's incredibly disturbing_, he thought, then pushed the man off of him. He sat up and found Annabeth fighting with the firebender who had set Percy on fire, her fans effectively dispersing the flames coming after her. She was able to get close enough to him, and she drew her sword and stabbed him in the stomach with one smooth motion.

Percy was understandably terrified when Annabeth turned to him with two dead men at her feet and a fire in her eyes that not even the firebenders could hope to compete with. "You stupid _boy_!" she shouted over the chaos of the fight. Percy had been called much worse things before, but nothing had ever stung like this. It was true - Annabeth had obviously come out to save him, and it looked like she brought the rest of the Warrior's reinforcements with her. It was too early, way too early. This wasn't the plan. The warriors were supposed to wait until all light from the sun was gone and the Fire Nation was just being overpowered. With a sinking feeling, Percy realized that, again, he had not only let his crew down, but the Kyoshi Warriors as well.

He was about to respond, but lost his voice when Annabeth gave him a terrible glare. She turned around, not wanting to hear anything he had to say, and she stalked off to the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors. Percy sighed and stood up, feeling thoroughly beaten as he ran to join the rest of the fighting.

The battle was intense, much too close than Annabeth and Percy had planned. However, things were not going to plan at all, so it wasn't much of a surprise to both of them. The Kyoshi Warriors spread out around the beach, defending it with all their might, easily overwhelming the Fire Nation soldiers. Compared to the ferocity in which the Kyoshi Warriors fought against the Fire Nation, Percy felt that his crew hardly made a dent.

It was the Kyoshi Warriors that were the ones to overwhelm the opposition and forced them to retreat. While the crew had dealt a fair number of hits to the Fire Nation, the amount of casualties inflicted by the Warriors made the Fire Nation run screaming. They held off for as long as they could, but eventually they turned and fled back to their boat.

Cheers of joy could be heard all around the beach as warrior and crewmate alike celebrated the victory. Percy and Grover hugged ecstatically, and Percy thought he heard Grover utter something along the lines of "stupid, suicidal genius," but he couldn't be sure from all the noise around him. Percy pushed him away playfully and looked around to apologize to Annabeth for his stupidity.

But he couldn't find her anywhere. Even all the other Kyoshi Warriors had congregated together to celebrate their win over the Fire Nation, but she wasn't with them. He looked all around the beach, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Annabeth!" he yelled, but there was no response. This alerted everyone else on the beach that something was wrong, and all the warriors started to panic.

"Annabeth!" they all screamed, scrambling to find any sign of her. That's when Percy realized where she must be. He looked out to the sea where the Fire Nation was eagerly sailing away. He knew then that that was where she was. In the chaos of the battle, she had been taken prisoner.

"Everybody on deck now!" yelled Percy, idly thinking that it was the loudest he had ever been, "Crew, on board!"

They all sprinted to the newly repaired ship, Percy shouting orders on who was to man what while they ran. "Leo!" he cried once he was in earshot, "Raise the anchor and lower the sails!"

Leo heard the urgency in his voice and he quickly obliged. As the men came aboard the ship they all rushed to the stations they were assigned to. They set sail faster than they ever had before, even with significantly less people. Percy told Leo to man the wheel, and he ran furiously to starboard and bent the water to propel the ship even faster, ordering Kassuq to do the same portside.

The ship was significantly lighter than the Fire Nation vessel, and a lot faster. They were able to catch up with them, the waterbending being especially advantageous. Just as the pulled up right next to the ship, the whole crew looked to Percy for guidance.

"I'm going to board them," he said, "I'm going to get her back, and no one is going to follow me," he told them.

The only one to dissent was Grover, but the rest of the crew looked on at him with stern understanding. He was their Captain, now. They were going to listen to him.

"You can't, Percy!" said Grover, but Percy quieted him before he could say anymore.

"This is my decision," he said, "Leo? Got anything to help me board the ship?"

Leo looked uneasy, "The ship isn't fully repaired, you're gonna just have to use a grappling hook and rope and a prayer to the spirits."

Percy nodded darkly, "I hope you can tie a good knot."

They had to do this quickly, as the Fire Nation crew were starting to look more and more antsy the longer Percy's ship stayed beside them. Luckily, it only took a few tries to get the grappling hook to hold onto the rail of the metal ship. Both of the ships were still moving, so getting across was going to be especially dangerous. Percy took a deep breath and held up three fingers towards the horizon, a gesture that Arrluk had taught him to use for good luck. Then he held onto the rope tied to his ship and jumped.

He shimmied hand over hand across the rope, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. It wasn't a very far distance between the two ships, but he felt like he had been hanging for eternity. Finally, he got to the end and pulled himself up onto the deck.

He quickly unsheathed Anaklusmos and took a defensive stance. "Where is she?" he yelled, trying to be loud enough so that everyone on board would hear. The men on board circled around him, looking menacing, but Percy could tell that they had been exhausted by the battle on the beach. Even so, he really hoped that they weren't going to try and put up much of a fight.

"I swear to the Spirits, if you don't let her go right now I will destroy this ship! My crew is waiting for me, and if they give the signal, we shoot! Now, I don't know about you, but I don't want to see how this ship is going to look with cannon balls embedded in its hull and on the bottom of the ocean. Or, if you'd prefer, I'll just take you down one by one right here. So, you can choose. Die by the blade of my sword or sink with the ship. Or you can hand her over right now, and no one gets hurt."

Percy never thought himself a convincing liar, but apparently being put under an enormous amount of pressure and stress works wonders for one's poker face. If he were watching himself right then, he would have laughed. They had no working cannons, and Percy had never actively tried to kill someone before. But he sincerely hoped that none of the crew would call his bluff.

Thankfully, Percy's unrelenting glare did the trick. Had it not been for the recent battle that had severely injured their numbers and their pride, he might not have been so lucky. But with his last syllable, he saw the crew break and their eyes filled with panic. One of the men nudged and grunted at another, who promptly ran away hopefully to retrieve Annabeth. The men around him lowered their weapons and their hands and stepped away from Percy in fear. Percy kept Anaklusmos in a death grip, and tried to individually make eye contact with each and every man. He wondered which one was the Captain, and then wondered if the Captain had even made it out of the battle alive. That would certainly account for the crew's skittishness against a scrawny Water Tribe teenager.

The man returned with Annabeth, her hands had been tied and she had been gagged. Percy quickly grabbed her and pulled her away from the Fire Nation crew. He undid the knot on her wrists without taking his eyes off of any of them.

"We're going to go back to my ship now," he practically snarled at them, which surprised Percy, but he tried not to show it, "If there is any funny business while our backs are turned, my crew will shoot. Once we are safely on my ship, I promise that my crew will let you go in peace."

He slowly sheathed his sword and took Annabeth's hand. Annabeth was livid at his touch and looked like she was about to rip his throat out with her bare teeth, but she took it anyway to keep up the charade. The walked over to the side, and before Percy could offer to help her, she was already hanging from the rope and swinging quickly over towards the ship. Percy gave one final glare to the crew, and then followed her.

Once they were both on the ship, he ordered his crew to go as fast as they could away from the Fire Nation vessel. They all did as they were told, but not without staring at him in awe first. They had obviously heard everything he had said on the ship - which made sense, as he was practically screaming.

Leo was the only one who didn't go to some specific post. Instead he stared at Percy for a couple more moments before shaking his head in disbelief, "You, my man, have nuts of steel," he said.

Percy laughed, and immediately felt all the built up tension and stress leave him. He ran his hand through his hair and looked down at himself. He really must have been a sight to see over there. Half of his clothes were burnt and singed, he was bloodied and beaten and probably smelled disgusting.

"Not so much nuts of steel, more like general insanity," he said, his voice hoarse from overuse. He chuckled again, the relief making him feel giddy. He walked over to the wheel.

"We're setting sail to Nidhi," he said to his crew, "We'll sleep in shifts. Kassuq and Siku, you guys first."

"Wait, Nidhi? No, I have to get back to Kyoshi Island!" said Annabeth. To be honest, Percy had just about forgotten that she was still there, even if he did just save her.

"We can't, we're too far gone and the tide is against us that way. The ship is still a wreck, too. The best we can do is go to Nidhi, spend a night and do repairs, and then come back after. I'm sorry Annabeth, I truly am-"

"Oh, you're _so sorry_, are you?" she snarled, "If it weren't for you I wouldn't be in this mess! If it weren't for you my whole island wouldn't be in this mess. You just had to go and bring the Fire Nation here, and then you had to go and break formation! And now you're telling me I can't go home! But you're so sorry so it's totally okay."

Percy was speechless, "I didn't mean-" he started.

"Oh no, of course not," she snapped, "You didn't mean to put me or my island in mortal danger, and you're sorry it happened. Don't worry, I forgive you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed," she spat, then turned on her heel and walked belowdeck.

Percy let out the breath that he had been holding and turned to Leo, both of their eyes wide. "Now I know how the Fire Nation crew felt."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the wait (I feel like I say this a lot) but end of the year tests and work really sapped my motivation. I swear this chapter has been half-written for a good two months. But now it's up, and it's a little long, but I hope the action makes up for it.

The title of the chapter comes from the song "The Switch and The Spur" by the Raconteurs. The song really did remind me of the Kyoshi Warriors and Kyoshi Island, and was a bit of inspiration in writing this. You guys can check it out if you want, it's a really good song. In fact, so far all of the chapter titles are the titles of songs or are lyrics. I've made a playlist for this story *shrug*. Cookies for anyone who find out what the other songs are!

Next chapter, the crew makes it to Nidhi, the Avatar equivalent of Tortuga, meets some prostitutes and fixes the ship. Also, Annabeth and Percy have a heart-to-heart. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and reviews would make me so incredibly happy. Constructive criticism is lovely as well!

Also, a question: I've been debating in my head on whether to go back to the original title of this story - Heroes of Omashu. I feel like it sounds much more heroic and cool, but I'm still undecided. So what's your opinion? Keep the name, or change it to Heroes of Omashu?


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